Shaker Heights to Enter Sewer Contract with County

The Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works will soon maintain the city's sanitary and storm sewer system.

accepted a proposal this week for annual maintenance at a cost of $525,000. That amount is in line with the city's normal sewer budget, but officials say residents will receive more for their money under the new agreement. Council suspended the traditional three readings for the measure so the city could have the agreement in place by July 1, Shaker Heights Director of Public Works William Boag said.

"This not only provides the potential of saving money for the city, but it actually is going to, I feel, improve the services for our residents," Boag said. "This is a tremendous opportunity and win for us."

Boag said the city will realize savings from the decision because it won't have to make capital purchases like the $400,000 Vactor truck it planned to buy. The county will also meet the city's goal of 200,000 feet of annual mainline sewer cleaning.

The county already provides similar services to 32 of its 59 communities. They county's department includes 70 service workers, 13 jet trucks and an automated work-order system that can be updated in the field. Boag said the county has capabilities the city lacks, including geographic information system mapping.

The switch to county maintenance will have no effect on residential costs, officials said. The city's sewer division is funded through an assessment in which residents pay $10.50 per 1,000 cubic feet of water used. It generates about $1.1 million per year in revenue. The fund also covers street sweeping costs and debt for sewer projects on South Woodland, Ludgate, Hildana and Shelburne roads.

The city will make quarterly payments to the county, Boag said. The four Shaker Heights employees in the Public Works Sewer Department will be reassigned to other vacancies in the department.

The city's finance committee approved the move before council examined it. Councilman James Brady, who chairs the committee, said the opportunity for regional collaboration also appealed to the city.

Interim Law Director Bill Gruber said the agreement will last for six months. The city can get out of the agreement with 30 days notice if it needs to.

The council meeting, held Tuesday at city hall, included a full agenda of items that were all unanimously approved. Here are few of them:

• Council accepted a proposal from Victor, NY-based Brite Computers for the replacement of mobile laptop computers for the city's police and fire departments. The departments' current computers are about seven years old, Police Chief D. Scott Lee said. Council agreed to pay no more than $193,000 for 25 police laptops and seven for the fire department. Lee said a strong interview with Brite made him confident enough to suspend the bidding process.

• Council authorized a maintenance agreement with Time Warner Cable for the city's fiber optic network through early 2016. Shaker Heights Director of Information Technology Frank Miozzi said the network is essential for computer and telecommunication operations in the city. It connects several buildings to City Hall's data center, including both fire stations and the service center. The agreement will cost the city $11,338.28 per year.

• The city will submit an application to the county prosecutor for a portion of the $1 million in Delinquent Tax Assessment Collection funds available to inner-ring suburbs. Kamla Lewis, director of neighborhood revitalization, said the city cannot ask for a specific amount and that matching funds are not required by the city. She believes the county will assess cities' needs and dole out the funds as it sees fit.